The present invention relates generally to a crisper drawer for refrigerators. In particular, the invention relates to a crisper drawer including a crisper pan which is self-closing.
A refrigerator is an electrical appliance in which a refrigerating cycle of compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation is repeated using refrigerant to store food at a low temperature. Generally, refrigerators are adapted to store various foods at a low temperature, in a fresh state, in freezing and refrigerating compartments defined in a refrigerator body, by circulating cold air in the freezing and refrigerating compartments. In the freezing compartment, food such as meat or ice cream, to be maintained at a temperature not higher than a freezing temperature thereof, is stored. On the other hand, food such as vegetables or beverages, to be maintained at a temperature slightly higher than the freezing temperature thereof, is stored in the refrigerating compartment or within temperature controlled storage containers within the refrigeration compartment. Thus, the recent tendency to equip refrigerators with storage containers has led to an increase in overall size of the refrigerator.
As large refrigerators are becoming more common, various types of refrigerators have been developed to satisfy the ever-increasing demands of the user. For example, a top refrigerator type is known in which a fresh food compartment is located above a freezing compartment and a side-by-side type refrigerator is known in which a freezing compartment and a fresh food compartment are positioned left and right of one another. A bottom refrigerator type is also known in which a fresh food compartment is located below a freezing compartment.
The bottom mount refrigerator concept is gaining in popularity because it provides easier access to the fresh food compartment in comparison with current side-by-side and top-mount refrigerators. The bottom mount refrigerator also has a better ergonomic position to store food and does not have as many hidden compartments.
Current bottom mount refrigerators have full-width storage compartments, which are popular with consumers. Each of the storage compartments has a crisper drawer mounted therein. Conventional crisper drawers have ball bearing drawer glides. However, these ball bearing drawer glides are more expensive. Also, it is desirable to provide each of the crisper drawers with a self-closing function so that the user does not have to close the drawer completely.
Thus, what is needed is a crisper drawer that is less expensive than the conventional crisper drawers and has a self-closing function.